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Branch of biology which focuses on the relationships among
various species and among the species and their environments. The basic units
for study are the species (all the organisms which are capable of
interbreeding), population (all of the members of a species occupying a certain
geographical area) and community (number of populations interacting within a
certain area). The emphasis in environmental science, however, is on the
processes of energy flows and nutrient cycles within these communities and
ecosystems and involves such ideas as species abundance, biodiversity,
complexity, trophic (feeding status) levels, ecological niches, and structure of
communities.
[Ecology; v75; 2430-2437; 1994.][Science; v260; 1472-1481; 1993.]
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